Please Don't Leave
by ArtemisNakajima
Summary: After a mission goes tragically wrong and leaves Eren dead, Levi decides that he'd rather die than continue on and go back to Paradis on his own. He assumes it's the end, for both of them... He couldn't have been more wrong. :/WARNING/: If you are not... 'okay' with the fact that Levi ends his own life at the beginning of this fic, DON'T READ IT.
1. Chapter 1

Levi felt his knees hit the earth, the red mud below him squelching as he collapsed. His arms fell limp at his sides, the blood-covered swords in his palms sliding out of his slack grip. The green cape wrapped around his shoulders was torn at the fringes, the shredded straps holding it to his shoulders suddenly giving way and sending the light fabric sailing away in the cold breeze.

Levi muttered incomprehensibly to himself, his voice cracking at nearly every other word. He stared around him, his eyes wide and tears flowing freely from his eyes as he took in the carnage around him. He'd killed all the titans in the surrounding area, but it didn't matter to him anymore.

Nothing mattered to him anymore.

The wind picked up suddenly, rippling through Levi's blood drenched-hair and stained white shirt. His broken, hot tears barely had a chance to form in this wind before they were torn away from his face. Levi squeezed his eyes shut, a guttural scream tearing through his entire body and echoing into the still night air as he shrieked.

Levi had spent his entire childhood working against the government, surviving off stolen food and scraps.

And yet, never in his life had Levi ever felt so alone.

Levi's head drooped, blood streaming off his face and running onto his shirt. He pressed his hands against the sides of his face as he screamed again, tearing at his hair and leaning over in pain.

Levi's brain went on overdrive, memories flooding through his brain as he cried.

Erwin, with his bushy eyebrows, briefing him on a mission. Which one, he couldn't remember. He just knew that the thought of where he was now made him sick.

Hanji, too. Her loud, exuberant personality had always annoyed Levi and made him want to kill something. Despite this, he would give so much to hear her rambling again, if only one more time.

Historia Reiss. Levi didn't particularly care that she was the heiress to the throne; her happy attitude and overall positivity had improved the moods of everyone around her.

A lot of good it did her. Levi had to watch as her body torn to shreds by the rabid titans.

Mikasa. He hated the bitch with a passion, but he couldn't deny the fact that she had been a good soldier, and a great sister to Eren.

Eren.

Levi choked and clutched at his throat, gripping the soft flesh hard enough to draw blood. He coughed, new tears streaming from his eyes and dripping onto the blood covered earth before him.

Levi screamed into the air again, wrapping his arms around his waist and screwing his face up in desolation. Eren. The man that he'd loved more than anything else in the world.

A rush of memories flooded through Levi's head, making the pounding in his head worse. He keeled over, his forehead touching the earth and coating his hair in diluted mud.

Levi saw Eren's smile when he'd admitted his feelings to him. The happy, beautiful, giddy grin on his face as he'd kissed Levi for the first time, his hands gripping Levi's shoulders like his life depended on it.

Eren's sleeping features after the night they'd made love for the first time, a faint blush on his cheeks adorning his otherwise serene face.

The look of complete and utter happiness Eren would have after finishing a mission, the smile always sending shivers of happiness and joy up Levi's spine.

Levi clenched his fists on the sides on his face as one last memory surfaced. The shriek that flew from his mouth was louder than the last, and it held all of the pain and anguish Levi had felt.

"STOP! PLEASE! JUST-" Levi broke down, collapsing completely and sobbing.

"Just, please... no... I can't—I can't see him die again..."

Levi saw Eren, his right arm extended towards Levi as he ran at him, fear filling his eyes with tears as the titan chased him towards Levi. Eren's Maneuver Gear had malfunctioned, the ropes falling apart from overuse before he could get to safety.

Levi tried to save him. He really did.

But even Humanity's Strongest wasn't fast enough to save Eren as the Titan crushed him beneath its massive foot.

After he saw Eren die, Levi was in shock. His entire life seemed to flash before his eyes; every moment leading up to him falling in love with Eren.

And every moment leading up to him killing every last one of those fucking titans.

Levi's hands trembled as he looked down at his twin blades, their dulled edges glinting in the light. He still had one last replacement pair of blades, in case of emergency.

Levi felt his mind wander back to Paradis.

There was nothing for him back there. The entire kingdom was corrupt, its leader nothing but a fat asshole who didn't give a shit about the so-called 'expendable commoners' of his empire. Levi knew that if he were the only one to go back, there would be nothing for him there. Everyone he'd known; everyone he'd LOVED, had been on the mission with him.

And Levi was the only one left.

Levi ejected the blades from his swords' hilts, quickly crossing his arms and attaching his last pair.

Since joining the Survey Corps, Levi decided that if he had to fight with them and ended up dying, he would want to die fighting. As a hero. If only just to prove that the people of the underground weren't as weak as they'd been assumed to be. He figured that maybe it would give HIS people a reason to be proud of where they came from.

However, as much as Levi hated to admit it, he'd given up on that a long time ago. He hadn't even tried returning underground since he became a soldier, knowing in his heart that they weren't his people anymore. He was just too... different.

Even though he'd realized he wasn't a part of the underground anymore, Levi had still kept that belief.

That he should go down fighting.

That was probably why Levi was having trouble ending his own life.

Levi held the end of the sword directly above his heart, the blade piercing his skin lightly and causing blood to drip down onto his abs. He didn't even flinch, the pain inside of him far too overpowering.

Levi cried, screwing his face up in an emotionally pained scowl as he gripped the blade harder.

Levi shouted.

He shouted once.

Then Levi thrust the blade into his heart, gasping at the pain. His eyes widened, and he choked, blood filling his mouth and leaking down his chin.

"E-er-ren... I'm... I'm so sorry..." he gasped, taking deep painful breaths around the blade in his chest. He hadn't even released it with his hands.

"F-f-forgive me..."

Levi breathed out one last time, collapsing onto the ground. He stopped breathed moments after, his eyes losing their silver shine as the life slipped out of his body.

Levi's vision dissipated, Eren's beautiful, laughing face the last thing he saw before everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

The loud ringing of Levi's alarm clock filled his ears at exactly 6:32 Wednesday morning, eliciting a stunned gasp from the aforementioned man. He sprung out of bed, sweat rolling in beads down his back as he groaned deeply. Levi blinked his eyes sleepily, scratching the back of his neck.

"What the hell?" he muttered, pressing his palm flat against the side of his face and letting it slide down to his collarbone. He breathed deeply, attempting to calm his rapid breathing.

Levi's nightmares were nothing new. He never remembered exactly what they were about, the premise of his fears entirely lost to him. He'd been to see an array of specialists specifically for this, unsure as to how it would affect his already shitty sleeping habits. He already got less than six hours of sleep every night; with his nightmares awaking him every now and then, recently he'd been rarely getting above three. Unfortunately, however, the specialists could reveal nothing abnormal about his dreams.

Levi stumbled out of bed, sleep deprived and in dire need of caffeine. He quickly made his bed, stacking the extra blanket he'd used the night before neatly at the foot of his green bed before pulling on a pair of black slacks. He didn't even bother with a shirt; it was his own apartment, what was the point?

Levi groggily dragged himself into the kitchen, sliding his sock-clad feet (he wore them to bed) over the immaculate hardwood floors and in the general direction of the stove. Resting there at the ready was his stainless-steel kettle, his water filter sitting right beside it on the counter.

After filling the kettle with water and gently setting it on the stove, Levi ambled over to the cupboard, dragging it open in one fluid motion. He grabbed the small metal canister where he kept his Blueberry Rooibos tea, opening the drawer just below it to pull out a spoon. He set them both on the counter beside his simple white tea cup, leaning against the doorframe as he waited for the kettle to shriek.

Levi's whole body tensed and he jumped as the kettle finally began whistling and he tched, standing from his lean and uncrossing his crossed arms. He walked back over to the counter and picked up the spoon, dropping a spoonful of tea and two teaspoons of sugar into the moderately sized tea-cup. Turning, he grabbed the kettle of the stove and poured the boiling water immediately into the tea cup, replacing it on the stove directly after.

Picking up his tea, Levi walked over to his dining room table and placed the cup at his seat, grabbing his phone off the coffee table before sitting down. He then slouched over his tea, laying his arms on the table around his cup as he waited for his phone to turn on.

Levi, an engaging young entrepreneur destined for greatness, worked as a lawyer for a popular law firm in San Fransisco, California. He didn't particularly like the job; the criminals he dealt with on a regular basis usually hadn't accrued horrible jail time and had usually only committed small day-to-day crimes. So, in other words, nothing interesting.

At least to him.

Levi's ability to read people had gained him a legendary reputation, making his quite a household name in San Fransisco. He didn't care, however. All Levi cared about was the small business he'd started on the side; a gear manufacturing company working to create the most useful climbing/flying gear imaginable.

Levi usually didn't remember his dreams; however, he'd been blessed once with remembering one thing from his dream.

Levi didn't know what it was called, or more accurately, what he would call it, but in his dream, the gear had had incredible maneuverability, and its airspeed was outstanding. It consisted of ropes, a gas tank, and (surprisingly) a pair of twin swords. Levi omitted the swords from his blueprint, however; for obvious reasons.

Didn't want someone being able to fly AND carry a weapon at the same time. He didn't want to create maneuver gear that powerful.

Levi spent most of his daylight hours doing paperwork and dealing with the criminals he'd been forced to protect, making long calls to his boss and to his secretary, Armin. The boy had been working for him for four years, almost. He and his brother, who Levi had heard mentioned but never actually had the pleasure of meeting, were in college and worked part time. Levi didn't much care; he'd only hired Armin because his mushroom-shaped hair reminded him of someone.

Though who, Levi had no idea.

After finishing his tea, Levi stood, carrying his dishes to the sink and washing them immediately. He hated the clutter that it caused in the sink when he didn't wash them, the smell of uneaten food permeating through the house and resting on all of the nice furniture in his living room.

Sighing deeply, Levi glanced around, remarking upon how much homier this place would be if he had someone to live with. Of course, the person would have to be nice, polite, enjoy (or at least tolerate) cleaning their stuff, and be not allergic to animals.

Okay, so that last one wasn't technically necessary. He would probably still share the apartment with them if they had asthma, but they would have to be a really nice person. And they would have to stay out of his room.

Mika rarely left there anyways.

Oh, and one other thing. They had to respect his personal privacy. That should be a given; however, he'd definitely had problems with it before, and certainly didn't want to have it happen again.

Ever.

Levi coughed gently into him palm, clearing his throat. He slid down the hallway, scuffing his socks on the floor as he slowly opened the door to his room. Levi allowed a small grin onto his face, spotting his small black cat on the window sill facing the main street.

"Good morning, Mika," Levi greeted, walking in and picking up the small cat. He'd named her Mikata, or ally in Japanese, because she was the only ally he had in this godforsaken world. He called her Mika for short, feeling it easier than adding the extra syllable. Plus, it was a pretty name, in his mind. A pretty name for a pretty cat.

Mika started licking the back of her right arm, settling in Levi's lap calmly. She wasn't the most social cat, per say, but when she loved someone, she LOVED them. Levi doubted he would ever be able to get rid of her, for while his attachment to her was strong, hers was rock-solid. She would probably just try to come back. She was also only about a year and a half old, barely a kitten. They still had a long time together, something that helped raise his spirits a little. He usually based who he became friends with on Mika's reaction to them, for she was a fairly good judge of character for a cat.

Not that Levi had any friends. He'd only ever brought two people over, both of them failing Mika's test within an instance. In fact, both of them ended up doing shitty things and serving jail time.

Levi sometimes wondered what kind of person Mika had been in a past life. She had probably been pretty overprotective, and Levi momentarily wondered if he'd have liked her if she were human.

Honestly, Levi suspected she'd have been quite the bitch.

When originally buying a cat, Levi had been hesitant. It wasn't something that he'd ever thought of doing until his secretary, Armin, suggested it to him as a way of getting over his 'loneliness'. Levi had told him to shove it up his ass, hating the fact that the young man could read him so easily, but he had to admit; buying Mika had been one of the better decisions he'd made in the past two years. The other was saving up enough money to start up his company and hire a few people to work for him, giving him more time to relax at home.

Checking his watch, Levi stood, letting the cat fall of his lap. With a small yelp, Mika jumped down, giving Levi a look of disdain before sitting down on the floor and resuming her grooming.

Stretching, Levi shuffled over to his closet and pulled out a black suit. The lapels were a light silver color, giving the suit a cool effect when he wore it in the court room. However, Levi didn't wear a traditional tie. Instead, he replaced it with a white cravat, the white object giving him an air of dignity above all other lawyers in the court room. It made him more... intimidating. Not that he wasn't already; it was one of the stranger things about him, given his smaller stature.

After dressing himself, flipping the cravat smoothly as he put it on, Levi slipped out the door, sure to leave it open a crack for Mika to wander about if she liked. He walked quietly into the kitchen, putting away his drying dishes and gathering his phone and housekeys before walking silently to the door and slipping on his shoes.

His briefcase, which sat propped against the bookshelf neatly, was the last thing he grabbed before walking out the door, double and triple checking the locks on the door. He then walked down the lengthy hall of his condominium building, taking the stairs at the end of the hall in favor of the elevator, despite the fact that he was already in excellent shape.

Swiping his card and waving to the attendant by the door, Levi exited onto the main street, walking up the avenue towards his office. He walked briskly; he wasn't in any particular rush, but something told him that he should be a little bit faster today.

It being nearly 7:30 by the time Levi started heading to work, the streets were filled with people, cars nowhere to be seen. Levi liked it this way; the less vehicles there were, the less noxious fumes they were releasing into the atmosphere the cleaner the air would be.

And Levi quite liked clean.

Suddenly, the crowd thickened, and Levi grumbled to himself, shoving his way through people. He didn't even look at the people around him, instead just focusing on getting to work and not suffocating.

Levi plans went out the window in a second, however.

As Levi stumbled through the crowd, he happened to look up at just the right moment to catch the eyes of a beautiful brunette, locking eyes with him. He felt the breath leave him, his eyes going wide as he was forced on through the crowd.

The young, green-eyed brunette wore a black hoodie, the sleeves falling over his hand as he gripped his big blue back pack, which was slung over one of his shoulders. His long lashes swept gently over his tanned cheeks, his eyes shining with a light Levi felt like he'd seen before. He was obviously a college student, based on his outfit, and with what Levi assumed to be a science major. The boy wasn't extremely tall; about 5'6'' if Levi guessed correctly, but he was well built; surprisingly so. Levi immediately wanted to know the man, something about him attracting Levi like a bee to honey.

Recognition flared in the man's eyes as they made eye contact and he frowned, deep in thought. Levi understood what he was thinking, for he was thinking it as well.

Why do I feel like I know him?

Suddenly, Levi was shoved forward, hard. He nearly fell over, stepping forwards a few steps and reaching his arms out to brace himself. As soon as Levi was sure he wasn't going to fall, he let out a deep breath. Then his eyes went wide and he turned around, scrambling backwards, but the college student was nowhere to be seen.

He'd just...

Disappeared.


	3. Chapter 3

Levi adjusted his cravat as he swiped his card at the door to his work, breathing deeply. Excitement (but ultimately loss) sent uncontrollable shivers up his spine, and Levi's glare only hardened as he swept into the building and headed straight for his private office. His feet moved quickly, resolutely, as the man speed-walked through the halls and up the stairs. Upon reaching the third floor, Levi turned left and walked briskly down the hall, sliding his card once again at the door to his workroom and opening it quickly.

As Levi closed the door behind him, he pulled off his coat, revealing a frilled white shirt and black suspenders that crossed opposite his navel in the back. He snapped them on his shoulders, running his hands through his hair before hanging his coat up and walking over to his desk. He plopped himself down, sighing deeply as he rested his elbows on the deep mahogany table and closed his eyes.

Lowering his chin into his hands, Levi pondered upon his meeting with the college boy from before. Who was he? Where did he go to school? And, most importantly, why did Levi feel like he knew him?

Levi lifted his head, pinching the bridge of his nose and groaning at his sudden obsession. The likelihood of them ever meeting again was slim, and Levi felt that an unhealthy fixation on this boy's identity would do nothing but affect his mood and work negatively. Pushing the strange feelings of familiarity and frustration aside, Levi reached across his immaculately organized desk and wrapped his hands around a large stack of papers, letting out a breath as he dropped the heavy stack onto the desk in front of him.

Levi, distracted as he was, barely noticed the few papers that slipped out of the pile and fluttered around his desk, giving it a cluttered appearance, and he exhaled deeply once again. He then rifled through the stack, cupping his cheek with his hand as he felt his eyes struggle to remain open.

"Dear Lord. I really wish I'd gotten more sleep last night." Levi yawned, stretching before returning his body to the same position it was in before. He tched, rolling his eyes lightly and banging his head against the desk.

"Sir?" A highly feminine voice rang through the room, and Levi slowly lifted his head. He glared at his secretary, his hair messily clinging to his forehead. Armin steeled his nerves, leaning against the doorframe and closing his eyes. He released a deep breath as Levi stared at him soullessly.

"Dr. Ackerman, I just figured I would inform you of your meeting with Mr. Tschüss today." Levi sighed, looking down before sitting up in his chair.

"Of course. What time is it at?" Armin glanced to the side, nervous, and fiddled with his fingers.

"Armin, how long do I have to get there? When does it start?" Levi asked, hiding the discomfort from his secretary. Armin bit his lip.

"Uhh... you see sir..." Armin sighed, his head drooping.

"It started ten minutes ago."

Levi couldn't speak, nor move his body, for some strange reason. It was as though he was unable to control his own limbs, and for some strange reason, that scared him more than he thought it would.

Suddenly, Levi shot out of his chair, grabbing a stack of papers off his desk and hopping the corner of his desk as he ran from the room screaming "SHIIIIIIIIITT!" into the air. Armin scurried out of his way as the short man rushed around the corner and towards the meeting office, sweat beading on the back of his neck as he sped through the hall.

'You can't be late to any more meetings! You take like twice as much vacation time as anyone else, and it's not like you'll tell us the reason!'

'Be on time, Levi. You're an adult. You just need to act like it.'

'What is it that you DO to make you late? It's probably stupid and useless. Make sure you make it to meetings!'

Levi heard his boss' past lectures and he felt the air around him drop a few degrees. Something wasn't right, and he knew it.

Bursting into the room, Levi ran to his seat and sat down, panting up a storm. Everyone turned to face him and, embarrassed (though not showing it), Levi sat forwards in his seat and laced his fingers on his desk.

"I apologize for my tardiness. I did not sleep well last night and my secretary did not inform me of its occurrence." Tschüss sighed deeply, facepalming slowly.

"Levi... I don't even know what to say," he said, looking up at Levi disappointedly. Levi sighed, closing his eyes before opening them resolutely.

"I can do four extra hours of work today to make up for my insolence. Please, allow me to take this punishment and continue with the meeting," Levi offered, his face remaining unchanged. Tschüss looked at him sadly before shaking his head.

"Levi... I-I'm sorry. I don't want to fire you..." Levi's heart rate increased, and he struggled to maintain his stoic façade.

"Then don't." Tschüss laughed humorlessly, sighing.

"I wish it worked like that. Please forgive me, but... we're going to have to let you go." Levi looked at him and sneered.

"Please tell me you're joking. Your best lawyer? You're just going to fire me?" Levi snickered. He then stood, gathering his papers and laughing heartlessly.

"Sayonara, butadomo ga," Levi said, smirking at his former bosses. They looked at him curiously, unsure as to what he'd said.

"To translate for you uncultured swine, it means, 'Goodbye, pigs.'" Levi watched the looks on his bosses' faces change from confusion to anger, and he laughed again, walking towards the door.

"For your information, this isn't the end. You will someday realize what a stupid mistake you've made in firing me. Tschüss, Tschüss." Levi didn't even bother translating the last part before walking out the door, relishing the sound it made as it slammed shut in his wake. The fact that he was now out of a job had hit him like a freight train before, but he figured if he were to leave with his head held high, he'd be less likely to hate himself for being late to that meeting in the future.

As Levi gathered his stuff from his office, he couldn't help the feeling of dread that was spreading through his body. The thought that he wouldn't be able to support his business was high up on his list of fears, and he wasn't entirely sure what to do.

Levi carried his few belongings out the door, sticking one of his headphones in his right ear as he made his way out. As he kicked it open, Levi started up a song on his IPhone. The music swam through his ears, and Levi walked towards his house calmly, closing his eyes and singing along to the music.

"Dakara hayaku, isshin furan, oborete goran. Kairaku e to, yami e to, rasen kaidan-"

"HEEEYYYY!" A loud voice penetrated Levi's music and he growled subconsciously, turning to glare at the man beside him. He was handsome, with dishwater-blonde hair and piercing gray eyes. The look he gave Levi was regretful, as if he wished him and the red-headed girl beside him hadn't broken in on his thoughts.

"Hi, I'm so sorry for intruding in on your thoughts. My name is Fa-" He paused, as though forgetting what his name was.

"Finn. This is my girlfriend, Ilyse." The girl smiled happily as she was introduced, extending a hand towards Levi. Levi grimaced, gripping his box of things tighter without even attempting a smile. The woman seemed unfazed however, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend's waist and smiling at Levi excitedly.

"So we heard you singing, and from the way you're carrying that box, we'd like to—well, not like to, but..." He groaned.

"Anyways! We figured that you just got fired... uhhg this sounds bad..." Levi rolled his eyes.

"Yes, they fired me. What do you want?" Levi asked, stopping in his tracks and sighing angrily when Ilyse bumped into his back distractedly. He turned to face them, an expectant look on his face.

"Well," Finn said, resolution filling his facial features.

"We'd like to offer you a... a very particular job," Finn said, naming the job flippantly.

Levi's hands went slack, the box slipping from his hands and hitting the ground with a loud crash.


	4. Chapter 4

_3 months later..._

"Eren, please?" Armin begged, leaning forwards and lacing his hands together with Eren's. Eren looked up from his massive stack of homework, glaring at the blond mushroom in front of him.

"Armin, I have homework. You know I can't go," Eren said, warring with himself inside. He really wanted to know who Armin was begging him to see, but he also knew that if he allowed Armin to drag him to a concert, he'd probably not finish his homework. That couldn't happen.

Not again.

"Pleeeeaaase, Eren, I'm begging you! You've been cooped up in here for too long, and as your brother-"

"Half-brother," Eren corrected. Armin frowned.

"I'm still your brother. And AS your brother, I feel the need to bring you out to have some fun sometimes. Plus; I think you'll like this," Armin said, waving a pair of tickets in front of Eren's face. Smirking, he watched Eren's eyes follow them ceaselessly, knowing that Eren's curiosity would get the better of him.

"Gimme that," Eren said, reaching for the tickets in an attempt to see who the performers were, but Armin yanked them out of his grasp.

"Ah ah ah..." he said, watching Eren's eyes narrow.

"If you take the tickets, then you have to agree to come with me." Eren stilled, looking down at his homework and then back at Armin's hand, pain filling his features.

Since Armin had received the tickets, he'd known exactly what Eren would choose. As Eren snatched the tickets from Armin's hands, reading the names over and over again in disbelief, Armin knew he had him hooked.

"Armin, you..." Eren's eyes, wide and filled with tears, locked on to Armin's. Armin grinned.

"You got tickets to see No Name?! ON MARCH 30th?!" he screeched, uncrossing his legs and standing shakily. He gripped his shirt, the bandaged face of the singer of No Name showing in between his clenched fingers.

"Hahaha, I'm surprised you'd doubt me. I am your awesome little brother," Armin said, puffing out his chest and sitting up tall. Eren launched himself at Armin, laughing giddily.

"I me—EREN!" He shouted as Eren knocked him over, his excitement making Armin shriek with laughter.

"Oh my god I can't believe I get to see NO NAME!" he screamed, messing up Armin's hair. Armin swatted him away, handing Eren another small gift. Eren's eyes went wide and he looked up at Armin from his spot on the floor, confused.

"Why all the gifts? It's not even my birthday!" Armin paused, frowning.

"Eren." He looked up, unfazed.

"Yes?"

"What day do you think it is?"

"March 22nd. Why?" Armin blinked, but Eren was too busy trying to guess what Armin had gotten him.

"What?"

"It's March 22nd. Is there something wrong?" Armin reached for the gift, dragging it from Eren's hands and latching onto his wrist.

"That's it. I'm taking you to a bar. Come on," he said, pulling Eren up from the floor of their shared apartment and dragging him towards the door. He grabbed his and Eren's coats, thankful that they were both wearing their shoes already.

"But Armin!" Eren shouted, struggling in Armin's iron grip.

"MY HOMEWORK!"

..oo00oo..

"Wait, lemme get this straight," Eren started, taking a long sip of his Whiskey Cola. Armin could tell that Eren wouldn't last much longer, as this was his third Cola, but he decided to let Eren finish this one. He hadn't had the chance to loosen up much in the past few weeks; he even thought the date was that of seven days ago!

"So today is the 29th, tomorrow is my birthday, and we're going to see No Name tomorrow and not in a week?" Eren slurred, gesticulating wildly with his sloshing beverage. Armin pulled it from his grasp and placed it on the bar, patting Eren's arm reassuringly as he searched for his now missing drink.

"Yes, Eren. I can't believe you've even forgotten that it's your birthday tomorrow!"

"Wait, though..." Eren started, shaking his head distractedly. He stopped, seeming to lose interest in the conversation altogether, but Armin spurred him on.

"Yes?" Eren looked over at Armin, confused for a second. Then he seemed to understand, placing his hand on Armin's arm.

"Why did I open my presents today? If my birthday's tomorrow, then..." It was as if a lightbulb had gone off in Armin's brain and he laughed lightly.

"Oh! Because I didn't want to risk you making plans with someone and then having to cancel." Eren looked at him curiously.

"How do you know I wouldn't just go with them?" Armin laughed.

"Because that would be ridiculous, Eren. Passing up on seeing your favorite band to hang out with your friends, which you could do any other day?" Armin cackled and Eren smiled in return.

"Yeah, I guess that is pretty stupid," he said, lifting his new-found drink and finishing it in one gulp. He then slammed it back down on the bar, getting up out of his stool and making his way towards the door.

"Wait, Eren, you still haven't opened your-" It was too late. Eren was already out the door, stumbling off down the street, and Armin struggled to chase after him.

"Eren! EREN! WAI—OOF!" Armin rammed into someone, his glasses flying off his face and landing on the ground across the room. Armin put his hands on the man in front of him, apologizing profusely as he tried desperately to find his glasses. As soon as the man had moved slightly, he fell to his knees, searching the floor for his wire-rimmed three-hundred-dollar glasses.

"Hey, I know you," a deep voice said, and Armin reached for the blurry outline of his glasses on the floor, completely unfocused.

"Armin, right?" Armin stopped, his hands less than a foot from his frames.

"Umm..." Armin finally picked up his glasses, turning around and placing them on his face in one smooth move. Taking in the man before him, Armin's eyes went wide and he began to stutter.

"DR. ACKERMAN!" he shouted, scrambling up from his spot on the floor. He stared uncomfortably at the short man in front of him, dusting off his pants and tugging on his sleeve.

"Umm... It's nice to see you... I guess... I mean... ahhg!" Armin slammed his palm against his face, staring awkwardly at Levi through his fingers and smudged glasses.

"Tch. You should clean your hands off, or you'll get dirt everywhere." He looked away from Armin, obviously looking for someone, and Armin caught sight of red marks on the sides of his face, right above his ears. They would normally be hidden by his hair, but the light had been just perfect for Armin to see them.

"Dr., are you alright?" Armin asked, reaching out subconsciously. Levi's attention flew right back to Armin, and he covered his face protectively. He slapped Armin's hand away, pushing past him and walking towards a booth in the back of the bar.

"Dr., hey!" Armin turned and walked back towards Levi, but the man merely shoved his palm in Armin's face and stopped momentarily. He covered Armin's mouth, leaning in close and glaring menacingly.

"If you tell anyone what you just saw, I will rip you to fucking pieces. Got that?" Levi said, pulling his hand off Armin's face and rubbing it on the man's shirt.

"Disgusting..." he said, turning and stalking back towards his seat, and Armin finally remembered who he'd come here with. He immediately forgot about the strange burns, fear pulsating through his body.

"Oh shit." Armin rushed out the door, slamming it open and screaming,

"EREEEEEENN!"


End file.
